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Valued Contributor
Posts: 612
Registered: ‎08-19-2016

Re: Fascination with new cars

[ Edited ]

I'm totally fascinated with cars-always have been-in fact, my engagement ring to the first man in my life was a car not a ring-I gave it back when we broke up...

 

My second engagement....another man....yup, no engagement ring, a car, didn't last but I kept that one!

 

I'm just over the moon nuts about cars-I'm not much for stuff, but I love cars-When I'm really stressed I can spend from sun up to sun down detailing a vehicle.  That would include the engine!  Yup...it's a sickness.

 

We tend to be the same about our cars as we are about the breed of dog we love...we tend to gravitate to the same thing......

 

Lexus and Lincoln make really fine looking vehicles-Remember that cool Lincoln commercial when they came out with their SUV's with the woman breaking her heels off to make driving shoes? Really sexy- I loved that commercial!

 

We are pretty outdoor active and on the road a great deal so we have stayed with Volvo the last many years-

 

Purchased the XC90 new then the mice invaded it at 6 years old and ate all 22 computers in it-the car locked all the doors, wouldn't allow entry and that's all she wrote-Very sad-I still miss it....

 

Replaced it with a new XC60-I like it, spunky, handsome, miss the space of the XC90 but didn't like the new designs-My husband drives a Volvo wagon we purchased in Sweden-has over 300,000 miles on it.  He totally needs to upgrade, but won't because now, it's a thing to see how many miles he can get out of it!

 

My BMW roadster M is 15 years old (an anniversary gift all those years ago) now and only has 22,000 miles on it, I rarely have time to drive it in the east during the warm months- 

 

I drove my BMW 735 for 15 years....I loved that car! We have an old 1968 Volvo that looks like a little gangster car...picked it up from a European dealer a few years back. A splurge, (a gift to my husband) all original, beautiful condition...really fun to drive...

 

We buy new, always maintain our vehicles with Volvo, and the intention of driving them a lifetime....we never worry much about trade in value....because when we finally make our choice, we always love them so much, we figure we'll drive them until we can't....

 

I say do your homework and just purchase the best you can afford...Doesn't always need to be new to be safe and dependable and what you want...

 

 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,652
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Fascination with new cars

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I just ordered a new 2017 Subaru Forester 2.5i Touring  in Sepia Bronze Metallic this past Thursday.   The dealer looked out at all the incoming shipments for the next 3 months & all of the cars in the color & interior that I want, which is new this model year, are all spoken for already until January 2017, but I can wait.  They looked at the existing inventory all over the country & there wasn't a single one to be had.  My saleslady at the dealer let me know they had one come in & was on the back lot while the window tinting was curing & awaiting it's new owner picking it up so I could come & see the color in person before committing to buy, so I did that & test drove another Forester.  I'm trading in my 2003 Forester (purchased June 2002), which still runs fine, but I found out after an interior trim piece fell off due to a broken clip that getting parts for a 14+ year old car can be a problem.  It took a month & a half for the part to arrive.  They're giving me a really good price for my trade in, too.

 

Valued Contributor
Posts: 762
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Fascination with new cars

I drive a 1990 Mercedes 560 SEC that was 90k new and has less than 90k miles. It still looks new and people stop me constantly asking to buy it. It gets terrible gas mileage being 8 cylinders, but it's more dependable than today's cars and all steel (unlike the plastic cars today). It drives beautifully and has amazing power. 

 

i get it serviced and spend very little on maintenance, downside is parts are expensive when needed. I will keep it as long as I can drive it. I adore my car

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,455
Registered: ‎07-15-2016

Re: Fascination with new cars

I was never much of a car fancier.  I still have my license, but haven't driven since 1993 when I moved into the city.   It's too expensive to keep a car here.  Garage rental is almost as much as my apt. rent!   

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,913
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Fascination with new cars

 

I love new cars, but?

 

 

 

hn

hckynut(john)
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,018
Registered: ‎09-23-2012

Re: Fascination with new cars

I have a 2013 Hybrid Camry, but will trade it sometime in November for the 2017 hybrid camry to get all the new safety features on it that are now standard on that car.  This will be my 8th camry.  Love those cars.  Gas and go.  

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,989
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: Fascination with new cars

I usually drive them until "big things" start falling out from underneath.......but there have been times when I've had a "premonition"...............

♥Surface of the Sun♥
Honored Contributor
Posts: 10,620
Registered: ‎09-22-2010

Re: Fascination with new cars

I pay cash for my cars.  Buy new and drive for a long time.  I do not worry about trade-in value just reliability and not having a car payment.  Current car is over 6 years old and has only needed oil changes. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,923
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Fascination with new cars


@AuntG wrote:

Earlier this year we bought a new SUV to replace a 1997 rusted out Buick. I think it was a sensible purchase.  I have a friend who bought an expensive SUV only to realize she hates it.  Now she wishes she had kept the older Toyota she had.  Then, we have a neighbor lady who bought a new SUV and shortly thereafter her husband bought a new truck simply because his wife had gotten a new vehicle.  We're talking about vehicles with only 30,000 miles on them.  My point isn't to dictate how people should spend their money but to question why people feel the need to get rid of perfectly good cars. What factors do you take into account when deciding on a vehicle purchase?


 

My first thought as I finished reading your post was..... because they want to and probably they can afford to.  Sometimes in life I don't want to always just make a "sensible purchase".

 

I recently bought a new car.  Did I absolutely need to?  Nope, but I wanted to so I did.


Why is it, when I have a 50/50 guess at something, I'm always 100% wrong?
Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,139
Registered: ‎04-16-2010

Re: Fascination with new cars

[ Edited ]

It dies. I mean it stops moving and it can't be fixed unless THOUSANDS are put into it when it's worth a few hundred.

 

I take care of my cars but I drive them until they just can't go any more. Usually it's around 280,000 thousand miles or so when that happens. I've had an SUV engine blow up on me and WISHED I had put a new engine in because I went through TWO NEW cars afterwards that were LEMONS (thank God for the Lemon Law in my state). Went with a used car from CarMaxx and it's going strong. 

 

I don't buy cars for any reason other than their ability to fit my need. My dad was a sports car enthusiast and LOVED to work on them; so at 16 I was driving a gorgeous Austin Healey. As an adult, I've owned a sportscar (was just me) and when the first baby arrived, it was a sedan. More children it went to a mini-van and then to an SUV (the mini-van was junk). I love to look at cars and drive them but to buy one.... there MUST be a need and it MUST fit MY need. 

 

Just being pretty, fast and cheap isn't enough.